1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of software products and, in particular, to an exercise program that demonstrates a set of exercises to a computer user that are geared towards preventing and treating Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various work, educational, and recreational activities involve using computers. Continued and sustained computer use can be a health risk to a computer user. The repetitive nature of typing on a keyboard and moving and clicking a mouse can cause injuries to the computer user. Such injuries are commonly referred to as Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs).
RSIs are injuries caused by repeated physical movements doing damage to tendons, nerves, muscles, and other soft body tissues. RSIs can be caused by a combination of factors such as repetitive tasks, awkward or fixed body positions, forceful movements, and insufficient rest. Some common symptoms of RSI are aching, tenderness, swelling, pain, crackling, tingling, numbness, or loss of strength in the injured area, which can eventually lead to loss of the use of the affected fingers, hand, arm, and/or shoulder. Other names for RSIs are Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs), Repetitive Strain Injuries, Repetitive Motion Syndrome, Occupational Overuse Syndrome, tendinitis, tenosynovitis, ganglionic cysts, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), De Quervian""s Disease, Trigger Finger, Epicondylitis (tennis elbow), and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
RSIs develop slowly over time as opposed to single incident injuries such as sprains or strains. The RSIs should be identified early, because if allowed to progress, an RSI can result in permanent damage. If the computer user develops an RSI, the injury can be treated with physical therapy or surgery. However, an easy and effective way for a computer user to deal with RSIs is by preventing the development of the RSIs.
There are a number of devices and methods on the market to help the computer user prevent the development of and/or to treat RSIs. One such device includes touch pads mounted on a computer monitor and a keyboard in various positions. The computer user is instructed to reach for and touch the touch pads after prolonged typing which exercises the body to prevent RSIs. In one method of preventing RSIs, a computer displays a screen saver on a computer screen reminding the computer user to exercise. The screen saver also illustrates a set of exercises for the computer user to perform. In another method, a computer keeps track of the number of keystrokes and mouse functions the computer user performs, and prompts the user to take a break after a certain number of functions. The computer screen displays a set of exercises for the computer user to perform during the break.
A problem with the current devices and methods of preventing RSIs is they are not designed to accommodate different users having differing physical needs and who may interact differently with an RSI prevention system. For example, they are not designed to accommodate different age groups, particularly children. While the exercises recommended by physicians for preventing RSIs may vary depending on the age and gender of the computer user, and while the strategy that will encourage the computer user to participate in the exercises may vary depending on the age of the computer user, prior art software products designed to address RSIs have been available only in a version directed to adults.
Another problem is that prior art programs are primarily geared toward treatment of an already existing condition, and thus do not focus on prevention. A further problem is that the treatment and or prevention exercises are presented in a set manner, so that after considerable use they become tiresome and/or boring. A related problem is the high level of standardization and lack of customizable features and components. Such standardization tends to feel intrusive to users, and thus discourages use of the prior art programs.
All of the above problems present significant impediments to the successful use of an RSI prevention system. Since the programs are not designed to be interacted with over long periods, particularly by users not in dominant user groups, such users will stop using the programs, preventing them from being effective.
The invention solves the above problems by providing a software product useful in both preventing and treating Repetitive Stress Injuries in computer users. The software product has different versions for different users. Various options are programmed differently for different user groups. The exercise to be displayed is randomly selected from a large group of exercises. Thus, the software program overcomes the impediments to successful use of the programs in the prior art.
The software product is comprised of an exercise program stored on a storage medium. The exercise program is configured to display images on a computer screen demonstrating a set of exercises. The exercise program displays the images when a computer user selects an icon on the computer screen, when a first time period expires, or as a screen saver; that is, the computer displays the RSI images when the computer processor receives no input from a manual input device, e.g., a keyboard or mouse, for a second period of time, or when the computer screen remains uniform for the second time period. The first time period refers to a set time between exercise sessions wherein the computer reminds the computer user to take a break and perform the set of exercises.
In one embodiment of the invention, the exercise program has multiple versions designed for different age groups. A children""s version is designed for computer users between the ages of 4 years to 7 years. An adolescent""s version is designed for computer users between the ages of 8 years to 12 years. A teenager""s version is designed for computer users between the ages of 13 years to 18 years. An adult""s version is designed for computer users 19 years and above. The sets of exercises and the images displayed on the computer screen differ between the versions. The first and second time periods are also different for the different versions. For example, the second time period for the 4 years to 7 years version is much shorter than the second time period for the 19 years and above version.
In another embodiment of the invention, the program includes a plurality of exercise images and a random selection generator. The image to be presented is randomly selected from the plurality of images. In a related embodiment, there are a plurality of exercise image groups. The group to be presented is randomly selected from the plurality of image groups.